Dashing Hopes
by isis-sg1
Summary: A two-shot, It doesn't matter how old Shawn is, there's always going to be dissapointment.
1. Chapter 1

"Shawn? Where are you? You were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago."

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"Shawn? It's been over half an hour now, and the food's gone cold. Honestly, I spend all day cooking for my own damn birthday and you can't be bothered to show up."

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"Shawn! Call me when you've learned to be considerate! I asked for one little thing! Don't bother with apologies; I've heard it all before."

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Henry sighed loudly at the familiar roar of the motorcycle as it came to a stop outside his house. He shook his head and turned up the volume on the TV just enough to drown out the sounds of Shawn's footsteps outside the door but not enough to drown out the sounds of his fist banging on the wooden door.

"Dad?" Henry heard the muffled call, but ignored it. "Dad?" Shawn tried again louder "Come on! Please open the door!"

Henry sighed again. He slammed the TV remote down on the coffee table and stalked to the door angrily. He pulled the door open and snapped at his son. "What!"

"I'm sorry."

"Just forget it Shawn." Henry began to shut the door, but Shawn put his foot in the way.

"I can explain!"

"I don't care Shawn! Get your foot out of my door," he ordered.

"Please Dad I…"

"No Shawn! I asked for one thing, ONE thing! And as usual you let me down. If I mean that little to you, you can get out of here"

Shawn sighed in defeat and took a step away from the door, flinching as the door slammed shut. He turned and slinked back to his motorcycle, rubbing his aching wrists as he went.

___________

Henry bit into the buttered toast and it crunched loudly in his mouth. He washed it down with a big gulp of black coffee as he sat down at the kitchen table. He leaned back until his chair was on its hind legs and reached out to switch on the tv. CNN breakfast news instantly appeared on the screen and Henry wrinkled his nose. He pressed another button until the local news appeared. Finally satisfied with his channel choice, Henry put the chair back on all fours and took another bite of his toast.

"A hostage situation at a gas station in Santa Barbara last night ended with one injured and the assailant in a critical condition. Three other hostages were unharmed. Santa Barbara Police Chief Karen Vick described it as the best possible outcome and has hailed her department for the swift action and surgical precision that saved the hostages lives."

Henry glanced back round at the TV to watch footage from the aftermath of the hostage situation. Police cars sat in between ambulances, the red and blue lights reflecting off every shiny surface.

"The police stormed the gas station two hours into the situation and disarmed the assailant, now identified as Rick Bynes, before finding the four hostages tied up in a back room."

He'd seen it all before when he was with the police force, nothing ever changed. He finished his toast and coffee quickly and returned upstairs to get ready.

He'd pulled his jacket on, pulled his cap over his balding head and was just about the step out of the house when the phone rang. He spun round and headed back into the house.

"Henry Spencer," he answered the phone gruffly.

"Henry, it's Karen."

Henry smiled slightly. "Karen, what can I do for you?"

"I was phoning about Shawn."

Henry frowned. "What about him?"

"I've tried phoning his place, but he's not picking up. I wanted to seen if he was doing okay after yesterday."

"Yesterday?"

"Yes…didn't anybody tell you? It's all over the news."

"Tell me what?"

"Shawn was one of the hostages as the gas station last night."

Henry closed his eyes, remembering how Shawn had tried to explain why he hadn't turned up to dinner. He had just slammed the door in his face. "Oh God," Henry sighed. "Was he hurt?"

"Nothing serious," Karen explained. "A slight bump to the head and some cuts on his wrists where they'd tied him up. I tried to get him to go to hospital to get checked out fully, but he kept insisting he had to be somewhere."

Henry pulled his cap off and rubbed his head. "I'm sorry Karen. I've got to go find my son."

"Call me when you find me, so I know he's okay."

"Will do Karen."

"Happy Birthday Henry," Karen said before hanging up the phone.

Henry slammed the phone down and picked up his cap. He opened the front door and closed it behind him. His car keys were pulled from his pocket and he climbed into his truck. First stop was the Psych office. If Karen couldn't reach Shawn at home, it meant he wasn't there. Shawn always picked up his phone.

It took less than ten minutes to reach his son's work place. He spotted Shawn's bike and parked in the spot next to it. He climbed out of the car, walked down the busy street and entered the office quietly. From the outer room, Henry could see his son lying on the couch, hugging a cushion and eyes fixed on the television screen.

The door creaked loudly as Henry opened and Shawn's attention was torn from the TV. "Dad?" Shawn dropped the cushion and sat up, swinging his legs over the side.

Henry moved into the room and sat down on the opposite couch. "I got a call from Karen, asking me if you were okay," Henry started.

Shawn nodded, "I tried to explain last night, but you wouldn't let me."

"What was I supposed to think?"

"Oh right," Shawn nodded as he rose to his feet. "Because I'm so unreliable, how can you trust that I won't go bungee jumping or white water rafting instead of turning up to dinner?"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to Dad, it's how you've always thought of me. He'll turn up unless he finds something better, right? What have I done to make you think so little of me?"

Henry stood up. "Oh I don't know, how about the various times you've disappeared because you're riding your bike around the country, the times you're turned up late because you were out with Gus?"

Shawn nodded, "Okay dad." He brushed past his dad and started for the door grabbing his helmet as he went.

"Where are you going?"

"Someplace where I'm not a complete disappointment," Shawn called back as he slammed the office door behind him. Henry went after him, following Shawn to his bike.

"Shawn!"

"What?" Shawn snapped back.

Henry's flicked from Shawn's bruised wrists up to Shawn's face. "I'm glad you're okay."

Shawn nodded. "Me too," he sighed. "Happy Birthday Dad," he said before revving the bike and riding away.


	2. Chapter 2

THIS CHAPTER IS A FLASHBACK - Shawn is 10

When Henry arrived back at his desk, there was a second pile of paperwork hiding the first. He grumbled under his breath and sunk into his chair. He loved law enforcement more than anything, but paperwork was one thing Henry though he could live without, especially on a day with little happening. Henry didn't understand how a quiet day on the streets meant _more _paperwork.

He shook his head and dove into the pile. The file on top was a case from a week ago that had been solved fairly quickly but needed his signature, the file underneath was a memo about something Henry could care less about, third was a letter informing him that he needed to appear at court a week on Tuesday to testify.

He rubbed his tired eyes and glanced up at the clock on the wall, over an hour had passed and he'd only managed to get through a tenth of the pile. He would be here for ages. Suddenly his eyes widened as he remembered the to-do list Claire had stuffed in his pocket that morning. He had pulled it out of his jacket and put it on the top of his desk so he wouldn't forget it and she would kill him if the list wasn't completed by the end of the day. He grabbed a handful of files and lifted up one end. He peered under hoping for any sign of the slightly pink piece of paper with pristine handwriting in blue ink, hoping it would stand out from the many black ink on stark white sheets.

He sighed and dropped the pile back down on the table. An idea came to him and he pushed his chair back. He bent over and ducked his head under the desk, hoping with crossed fingers that it had fallen under there.

"Henry?" A voice called and Henry lifted his head, only to have it collide with the underside of the solid wood desk.

"Ah!" He cried, he pulled himself away the from the desk and lifted his hand, and then his head, he could already feel a lump forming.

"Sorry."

Henry winced, "What can I do for you Karen?"

"I'm going out for coffee and wondered if you wanted one," she answered.

Henry nodded, "Extra black." Karen nodded back and began to walk away. "Karen?" Henry called.

She spun round. "Yes?"

"You didn't see a small piece of paper on my desk this morning, did you? It's pink?"

She shrugged, "Sorry." Henry sighed. "Anything important?"

"Very," Henry replied. "Well, I think it was."

Karen raised an eyebrow at the cryptic answer. "I'll keep an eye out for it for you."

"Thanks. Henry turned back to his desk, hoping that he would find the list somewhere in the pile and the only way that would happen is if he got back to work.

***********

Shawn watched from the kitchen table as his mother rushed around the house. His snack of cheese on toast was growing cold and his glass of milk now room temperature as he watched in fascination.

Claire Spencer picked up the dirty mugs from the coffee table and dumped them in the sink. While in the kitchen, she grabbed the white wine from the fridge and placed it on the counter with the freshly baked cake. It was her monthly girls only evening where her and few a few of her friends met up to drink wine and moan about their men. It was her only proper night out a month and there was no way she was going to be late for it. She ruffled Shawn's hair as she moved past the table and into the hallway. She jogged up the stairs to grab her shoes and check her hair one last time before she ran back down the stairs. Her coat was pulled from the closet and she put it on quickly before tucking the cake under one arm and picking up the wine bottle in the other. She made it to the doorway before she realised she'd forgotten something. She spun round and faced Shawn. Her eyes flicked to the clock on the wall. Henry should be home any minute and Shawn _was _ten, surely it was okay to leave Shawn on his own for a bit.

"I'm going now sweetie, but your father should be home any minute. Okay?"

Shawn nodded, "Okay Mom."

"Now you be good, just eat your snack and then wash the plate afterwards."

"Have a good time Mom."

Claire smiled. "You too, sweetie," she replied before disappearing out the door. As the door slam shut, Shawn looked down at the food on his plate, he ripped the toast to pieces and slowly put one piece in his mouth at a time until it was all finished. He grasped the glass of milk and put it to his lips. Even warm the milk tasted nice as he gulped down the entire glass. He smacked his lips as he put the glass back down and smiled. He pushed his chair back and slid off the seat before picking up his plate and glass and dropping them into the sink. He reached for the hot tap and drenched the plate and glass. Once satisfied that they were both very wet and therefore clean Shawn went back to the table to wait for his dad.

**********

"You're staring off into space again," Karen commented from her desk.

"I feel like I've forgotten something…..and I swear whatever it is is on that damn piece of pink paper."

Karen smiled, "Still haven't found it?"

Henry shook his head. "It's been bugging me all day." He looked down at his desk, now nearly empty of paper work. It had taken him all afternoon and most of the evening but he had pushed through it, guiltily hoping somewhere a crime would be committed to pull him away from it.

"Okay," Karen sighed. "I'm going home."

The few files left on Henry's desk could be left till tomorrow. "Good idea." Henry rose from his seat, grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and followed Karen out of the police station. He waved goodbye to Karen in the parking lot as he climbed into his truck and pulled out onto the main road. Henry climbed back out of the truck fifteen minutes later. Slamming the car door shut and trudging up the driveway and into the house. His eyes instantly fell on his son sitting at the kitchen table, his eyes sad and red. Henry frowned at the sight. Shawn was sitting in his favourite pair of jeans and his favourite top which had a large cartoon pineapple on the front. Shawn's eyes glanced at a brightly packaged object on the kitchen counter before returning to Henry.

Henry's eyes widened and he realised what he had forgotten. He was supposed to be home early because Claire was going out and Shawn needed to be taken to Gus's party. The party Shawn hadn't stopped talking about for two weeks. Henry looked at his watch. It was nearly nine o'clock, the party had finished ages ago and Shawn had missed it. Missed it because Henry had forgotten.

"Shawn, I…"

"You make me remember everything, why are you allowed to forget!" Shawn cried. He pushed his chair back with a screech and ran up the stairs.

Henry dropped his head and sighed. He pushed his hands into his trouser pockets. He felt something in his right pocket and frowned as he pulled out the object. He uncrumpled the piece of pink paper and sighed at the to-do list.


End file.
